Louisiana - 151,473 positive cases of COVID-19; 5,035 deaths

[Pathfinder]

New Orleans to extend coronavirus stay-at-home order, court records show; see new date

BY JESSICA WILLIAMS | STAFF WRITER APR 15, 2020 - 3:00 PM

Mayor LaToya Cantrell has extended New Orleans’ stay-home mandate until May 16, citing a continued increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the city in recent weeks and the need to ensure that area hospitals aren't overburdened by a surge of additional patients.

The mayor, who issued the current mandate in mid-March, extended that order via a Wednesday proclamation in Orleans Parish Civil District Court. Governor John Bel Edwards has a similar order in place for the entire state through at least April 30.

The extension will close the normally bustling city through most of spring, save for grocers, banks, and other essential businesses, and further stall New Orleans’ economy.
...
https://www.nola.com/news/coronavirus/article_f58bd9ca-7f50-11ea-9500-5ff3908204da.html

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John Bel Edwards closes Louisiana schools for remainder of semester due to coronavirus

BY KATELYN UMHOLTZ | STAFF WRITER PUBLISHED APR 15, 2020 AT 4:17 PM | UPDATED APR 15, 2020 AT 6:12 PM

Gov. John Bel Edwards has officially signed a proclamation to close K-12 public school campuses for the remainder of the spring semester due to the coronavirus pandemic, he announced during a Wednesday afternoon press conference.
...
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_r...cle_850430d6-7f5e-11ea-901e-13058559e5c8.html

 

[Ronan Kelly]

22,532
Cases Reported*
1,156
Deaths Reported
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,914
396 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
5,968
by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed
120,618
and Reported to State**
64 of 64
Parishes with Reported Cases
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

23,118
Cases Reported*
1,213
Deaths Reported
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,868
363 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
6,102
by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed
125,885
and Reported to State**
64 of 64
Parishes with Reported Cases
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Pathfinder]

Ochsner Health and BioInfoExperts complete first genomic sequences of COVID-19

by: Amy Boraks
Posted: Apr 17, 2020 / 12:47 PM CDT / Updated: Apr 17, 2020 / 12:47 PM CDT

NEW ORLEANS – Scientists from BioInfoExperts LLC (BIE) and Ochsner Health have completed the first whole genome sequences of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus from the New Orleans area.
...
Phylogenomic analysis revealed that the New Orleans and Baton Rouge genomes are closely related. The Louisiana genomes also group with other genomes mainly derived from the Northwest United States, highlighting the potential role of travel in the spread of COVID-19.
...
https://wgno.com/news/health/corona...complete-first-genomic-sequences-of-covid-19/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

23,580
Cases Reported*
1,267
Deaths Reported
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,761
347 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
6,249
by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed
131,750
and Reported to State**
64 of 64
Parishes with Reported Cases
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

23,928
Cases Reported*
1,296
Deaths Reported
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,748
349 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
6,425
by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed
135,079
and Reported to State**
64 of 64
Parishes with Reported Cases
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Pathfinder]

Counting coronavirus deaths isn't always accurate. But here's why experts urge its importance

BY JEFF ADELSON and GORDON RUSSELL | Staff writers PUBLISHED APR 18, 2020 AT 11:01 AM | UPDATED APR 19, 2020 AT 8:40 PM
...
Jefferson Parish Coroner Dr. Gerry Cvitanovich said that, early in the outbreak, when tests were scarce, he was wary of using tests that could have gone to identifying cases among the living simply to confirm undiagnosed victims in the morgue. Since the CDC issued new guidance recently on how to determine whether the coronavirus was likely a contributor to a death, the office has been sending investigators to talk to doctors to help figure that out.

As a result, Cvitanovich said he believes there may have been some COVID-19 cases early in the outbreak that his office missed and likely will never be included in the official count.

“It is important to know (how many died) epidemiologically, but how accurate are we going to be? I don’t know,” Cvitanovich said.
...
Officials with the Department of Health are readying a process to count and publicly update the figures for suspected coronavirus deaths this week. Those numbers will be presented alongside the official statistics.
...
https://www.nola.com/news/coronavirus/article_d05f06a6-818d-11ea-ba41-ab006ec217d6.html

 

[Ronan Kelly]

24,523
Cases Reported*
1,328
Deaths Reported
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,794
332 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
6,482
by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed
135,079
and Reported to State**
64 of 64
Parishes with Reported Cases
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Pathfinder]

Louisiana Department of Health Updates for 4/20/2020


April 20, 2020

The Louisiana Department of Health has updated its website to reflect the latest number of COVID-19 positives and will continue to update its website at noon each day. As of noon on April 20, the Department reports a total of 24,523 positive cases.

Commercial testing data reported to LDH
The Department of Health is conducting a comprehensive review of commercial testing data reported to the state. Commercial testing data will be updated upon completion of this review. This does not impact the number of positive cases reported. Positive cases reported are updated and accurate.

Hospitalization
A total of 1,794 COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized; of those, 332 patients require ventilation. Information on available hospital beds, ICU beds, and hospital vents is on the LDH dashboard.

Deaths
The Department reports a total of 1,328 deaths. Deaths are listed on the LDH dashboard by parish under the by parish tab and information by age can be found on the by age tab.

As of April 20, 56.25% of COVID-19 deaths to date were among African American residents and 34.34% were among white residents. The most common underlying conditions among COVID-19 deaths to date are hypertension, diabetes and chronic kidney disease. This data is updated every Monday.

Nursing homes and other adult residential facilities
COVID-19 cases have been reported by 201 nursing homes and other adult residential facilities in Louisiana. A total of 2,034 COVID cases have been reported among residents of these facilities; 403 COVID-19 deaths have been reported among residents of these facilities. This category includes nursing homes, assisted living facilities, inpatient psych/behavioral health and inpatient drug treatment facilities. These facilities care for thousands of Louisianans, including older people and those with underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk for complications and death from COVID-19. This does not include other adult residential settings.

In many cases, a resident of an adult residential facility is tested and diagnosed with COVID-19 by a provider outside of the long-term care facility. The facilities have begun self-reporting positive cases to the Department of Health. Due to the volume, the Department is no longer listing individual facilities. The Department continues to work with facilities to minimize the spread of the illness and protect residents and staff. Facilities have been given guidance to minimize the spread of illness.

The Department will update the number of adult residential facilities with COVID-19 cases, the number of residents who are confirmed to have COVID-19 and the number of deaths among these residents on Mondays and Wednesdays.

http://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/5555

 

[Ronan Kelly]

24,854
Cases Reported*
1,405
Deaths Reported
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,798
297 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
6,578
by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed and Reported to State**
135,079
Under Review - See Note Below
64 of 64
Parishes with Reported Cases
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

25,258
Cases Reported*
Deaths Reported
1,473
59 Probable Deaths**
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,747
287 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
6,593
by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed and Reported to State***
135,079
Under Review - See Note Below
64 of 64
Parishes with Reported Cases
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Pathfinder]

Louisiana Department of Health Updates for 4/22/2020


April 22, 2020

The Louisiana Department of Health has updated its website to reflect the latest number of COVID-19 positives and will continue to update its website at noon each day. As of noon on April 22, the Department reports a total of 25,258 positive cases.

Hospitalization
A total of 1,747 COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized; of those, 287 patients require ventilation. Information on available hospital beds, ICU beds, and hospital vents is on the LDH dashboard.

Deaths
The Department reports a total of 1,473 deaths. Deaths are listed on the LDH dashboard by parish under the by parish tab and information by age can be found on the by age tab.

In line with recent CDC guidance, as of April 22 the Department is now reporting both confirmed COVID-19 deaths and probable COVID-19 deaths on its dashboard. The Department defines a confirmed COVID-19 death as a death with a positive lab result. Probable COVID-19 deaths are deaths identified by coroners and/or physicians as COVID-19 deaths or as probable/suspected/possible COVID-19 deaths without a positive lab result. The number of probable COVID-19 deaths could change if pending test results turn out positive or negative. As of April 22, the Department reports 59 probable COVID-19 deaths.

As of April 20, 56.25% of COVID-19 deaths to date were among African American residents and 34.34% were among white residents. The most common underlying conditions among COVID-19 deaths to date are hypertension, diabetes and chronic kidney disease. This data is updated every Monday.

Nursing homes and other adult residential facilities
COVID-19 cases have been reported by 205 nursing homes and other adult residential facilities in Louisiana. A total of 2,402 COVID cases have been reported among residents of these facilities; 464 COVID-19 deaths have been reported among residents of these facilities. This category includes nursing homes, assisted living facilities, inpatient psych/behavioral health and inpatient drug treatment facilities. These facilities care for thousands of Louisianans, including older people and those with underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk for complications and death from COVID-19. This does not include other adult residential settings.

In many cases, a resident of an adult residential facility is tested and diagnosed with COVID-19 by a provider outside of the long-term care facility. The facilities have begun self-reporting positive cases to the Department of Health. Due to the volume, the Department is no longer listing individual facilities. The Department continues to work with facilities to minimize the spread of the illness and protect residents and staff. Facilities have been given guidance to minimize the spread of illness.

The Department will update the number of adult residential facilities with COVID-19 cases, the number of residents who are confirmed to have COVID-19 and the number of deaths among these residents on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Commercial testing data reported to LDH
The Department of Health is conducting a comprehensive review of commercial testing data reported to the state. Commercial testing data will be updated upon completion of this review. This does not impact the number of positive cases reported. Positive cases reported are updated and accurate.


http://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/5557

 

[Pathfinder]

Hundreds wait hours for food distribution in Metro area

Second Harvest Food Bank is evaluating the move to more community-centered distribution sites

Author: Katie Moore / Eyewitness News
Published: 6:41 PM CDT April 22, 2020
Updated: 6:41 PM CDT April 22, 2020

JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — Cars began lining up before 7 a.m. Wednesday for afternoon food distribution at the Alario Center on the West Bank.

By noon, hundreds of cars lined the entrance road, snaking their way around the event center property past Segnette baseball field.
...
The line of cars, hundreds long, all strung together in a time of separation was a striking sight. Each person, each vehicle held a story of hardship.
...
https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/...area/289-f27859f9-bb82-4320-9207-7780498cb3e8

 

[Ronan Kelly]

25,739
Cases Reported*
Deaths Reported
1,540
59 Probable Deaths**
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,727
274 of those on ventilators
Tests Completed
6,779
by State Lab
Commercial Tests Completed and Reported to State***
135,079
Under Review - See Note Below
64 of 64
Parishes with Reported Cases
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

26,140
Cases Reported*
Presumed Recovered***
14,927
as of 4/22/2020
Tests Completed
6,977
by State Lab
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,697
286 of those on ventilators
Deaths Reported
1,601
59 Probable Deaths**
Commercial Tests Completed and Reported to State
135,079
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

26,512
Cases Reported*
Presumed Recovered***
14,927
as of 4/22/2020
Tests Completed
7,302
by State Lab
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,700
268 of those on ventilators
Deaths Reported
1,644
59 Probable Deaths**
Commercial Tests Completed
131,700
and Reported to State
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

26,773
Cases Reported*
Presumed Recovered***
14,927
as of 4/22/2020
Tests Completed
7,310
by State Lab
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,701
265 of those on ventilators
Deaths Reported
1,670
59 Probable Deaths**
Commercial Tests Completed
135,726
and Reported to State
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

27,068
Cases Reported*
Presumed Recovered**
17,303
as of 4/26/2020
Tests Completed
7,516
by State Lab
Reported COVID-19 Patients in Hospitals
1,683
262 of those on ventilators
Deaths Reported
1,697
43 Probable Deaths***
Commercial Tests
139,473
Performed
http://ldh.la.gov/Coronavirus/

 

[Pathfinder]

Louisiana Department of Health Updates for 4/27/2020


April 27, 2020

The Louisiana Department of Health has updated its website to reflect the latest number of COVID-19 positives and will continue to update its website at noon each day.

At 4 p.m. on April 27, Governor John Bel Edwards will make an important announcement about the COVID-19 Stay at Home order.

Nursing homes and other adult residential facilities
COVID-19 cases have been reported by 154 nursing homes and 73 other adult residential facilities in Louisiana. A total of 2,546 COVID-19 cases have been reported among residents of nursing homes, and a total of 371 COVID-19 cases have been reported among residents of other adult residential facilities. A total of 541 COVID-19 deaths have been reported among residents of nursing homes, and 44 COVID-19 deaths have been reported among residents of other adult residential facilities. There are 279 licensed and certified nursing homes and 157 adult residential care providers in Louisiana.

These facilities care for thousands of Louisianans, including older people and those with underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk for complications and death from COVID-19. This does not include other adult residential settings.

In many cases, a resident of an adult residential facility is tested and diagnosed with COVID-19 by a provider outside of the long-term care facility. The facilities have begun self-reporting positive cases to the Department of Health. Due to the volume, the Department is no longer listing individual facilities. The Department continues to work with facilities to minimize the spread of the illness and protect residents and staff. Facilities have been given guidance to minimize the spread of illness.

The Department will update the number of adult residential facilities with COVID-19 cases, the number of residents who are confirmed to have COVID-19 and the number of deaths among these residents on Mondays and Wednesdays.

http://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/5564

 

[Pathfinder]

Louisiana coronavirus stay-at-home order extended until May 15, with three changes

BY SAM KARLIN | STAFF WRITER APR 27, 2020 - 4:00 PM

Gov. John Bel Edwards is extending the state's current stay-at-home order through May 15th, keeping bars, dine-in restaurants and barber shops closed for two additional weeks before starting a phased reopening of the economy on May 16th.

The stay-at-home order will have three relatively small changes: Restaurants will be allowed to let customers eat outdoors on patios if there is no table service, malls can operate curbside retail and public-facing workers must wear masks. Those three changes will take place May 1, when the current order is set to expire.

...
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_r...8c3f87c8-88b0-11ea-a367-2faccc4d6e0c.html?348